June 2002

Robertson tackles Moray Council on Tolbooth Flag issue

Sunday, June 30, 2002

Following reports in last weeks Forres Gazette, which outlined the stalemate on the issue of the Forres Tolbooth Flag, Moray Scottish National Party MP Mr Angus Robertson has written again to The Moray Council expressing his concerns at the continuing lack of progress on the issue.

The Council had previously indicated in a letter to Mr Robertson that options to resolve the situation would be examined. In his recent letter to the Council Mr Robertson noted that it was now some 11 weeks since the Council’s comments and asked for an indication of when the issue would be resolved.

Commenting Mr Robertson said:

“ The amount of time that this saga has rumbled on for is somewhat ridiculous and I am most concerned at the difference between the The Moray Council’s assessment of the situation and that of the community Council.

“ The Moray Council must take some responsibility for resolving this matter, which has seen a significant groundswell of opinion for the Saltire Flag to be reinstated to its rightful place above the Forres Tolbooth.

“ The Community Council has been working very hard on this matter and I commend their efforts to have the costs of reinstating the flag independently assessed. I hope that the Council will provide a timeous reply to the Community Council and myself and that this situation can be resolved once and for all.”

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Moray MP opens catering facility at Keith-Dufftown Railway

Tuesday, June 18, 2002

Following the opening ceremony at the new ‘Buffer Stop’ restaurant facility, which is sited in a restored buffet car at Dufftown Station on the Keith-Dufftown Railway, Moray Scottish National Party MP Mr Angus Robertson commented:

“ I was delighted to be invited to the opening ceremony for the new catering facilities at the railway. The army of volunteers working on the railway project have done an incredible job over the years to bring a new and exciting tourist attraction to the region.

“ I had the privilege of being a guest last year at the opening of the railway and the expansion of the facilities to include a stationary restaurant car is an indication that the project is continuing to go from strength to strength.

“ I would urge anyone who has not yet had the opportunity to take the trip, which takes in some wonderful scenery, to do so and you can now relax even more in the excellent new restaurant facility.”

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Roseisle Forest Facilities Improvement

Tuesday, June 18, 2002

On Saturday Moray SNP MP Angus Robertson opened the newly upgraded Forest Enterprise facilities at Roseisle Forest. The improvements, worth more than £100,000, include children’s play facilities, a permanent BBQ area, new toilet block and a redesigned car park.

Commenting on the investment Mr Robertson said:

“ I am impressed with Forest Enterprise’s commitment to providing facilities of this quality for the use of locals and visitors alike. I am told that on a hot summers day the site can become something of a Mecca for ramblers, beach goers and picnickers.

“ The new facilities offer an enhanced attraction to what is one of Moray’s most beautiful spots. All of the Forest Enterprise staff involved in the project should be commended for their hard work in upgrading the site, which ties into the excellent paths maintained by the Burghead Footpath Association.”



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'Fair Fares' Campaign

Tuesday, June 18, 2002

Much of an MP’s work takes place in committees, which receive little press attention. Despite this the committees are an important way to ensure that the government is doing its work properly and they are supposed to be independent and non-party political.

I serve on the European scrutiny committee that monitors important suggestions from Brussels and keeps UK ministers on their toes. This week we published a report, which heavily criticised the London government for keeping Scotland in the dark about important European developments.

There are often criticisms of the EU, some of which are correct. However the biggest challenge for Scotland is that we are not directly represented at the top table where the decisions are made in Brussels.

It is ironic that now with devolution in Scotland it is the Scottish Parliament that has most legislative responsibilities to do with the EU, not the House of Commons. These responsibilities include fishing, agriculture and legal matters. The irony is that Westminster still calls the shots when it comes to dealing directly with Europe.

Our committee including its Labour majority agreed that Westminster still holds onto key documents, putting Scotland at a disadvantage at a time when we need to be fighting our corner.

I raised this with the Secretary of State Helen Liddell at Scottish questions this week. She mistakenly told MP’s that this was all the fault of her Labour and Liberal colleagues in the Scottish Executive. Her answer shows once again that she is London's representative in Scotland - and illustrates the need for Scotland to have a direct voice in Europe as an independent member state.

I was delighted to join SNP leader John Swinney this week in Elgin at the opening of the new office. He had just come from Inverness where he launched a ‘Fair Fares’ campaign. This is a nationwide campaign to bring down the cost of airfares from Scotland and to increase accessibility to other destinations. Inverness was chosen as the launch pad, as residents in the north of Scotland are paying exceptionally high surcharges for flights from local airports.
Internally our airfares are too high, externally our links are too few and this situation is being compounded by the high surcharges Scots have to pay every year for their summer holidays. The north, in particular, has suffered from a Lib/Lab double whammy, high landing charges and low support for services. The Scottish Executive has done nothing to break the logjam over landing charges at Inverness and to encourage low cost carriers into Inverness.
Meanwhile this week saw the publication of a heartening opinion poll, which indicates that an overwhelming majority of people in Scotland reject racist attitudes.

The most welcoming part of Scotland is apparently the north of the country including Moray. This is fitting considering the positive contribution made by so many people who have come to the area from outside Scotland and choose to live and work here.

According to the survey most people believe everyone in Scotland should have fair treatment, regardless of colour, creed or country of origin. The poll, commissioned by the Scottish National Party and conducted by System Three, suggests that two thirds of Scots believe that incomers make a positive contribution to society.

These findings overturn previous flawed research, and indicate that the vast majority of Scots, across all sections of society, reject racist attitudes.

Scotland clearly has a racist problem, which it would be foolish to deny. But what this poll shows is that those politicians and newspapers who are jumping onto a racist bandwagon – for example over asylum seekers – are travelling in the wrong direction, and do not represent Scotland.

Mainstream Scottish opinion is tolerant and positive towards incomers, and that is of immense value in isolating and combating racism in our society.

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Dental services in state of decay

Monday, June 17, 2002

Moray Scottish National Party MP, Mr Angus Robertson, is today [Wednesday] urging Moray residents with difficulty receiving dental care to contact either Margaret Ewing MSP or himself following a series of complaints about the lack of dentist availability. Mr Robertson accused the Scottish Executive of failing Moray on dental services following a string of complaints from constituents who are unable to find an NHS dentist in the region.

Mr Robertson’s Moray SNP colleague, Mrs Margaret Ewing MSP, had been pursuing the issue with the Health Minister before having to take a break due to ill health. Mrs Ewing has indicated that she will be taking up the task again upon her return to the fray, in the meantime her office staff have continued to be inundated with complaints from irate constituents who are unable to get simple check ups for either their children or themselves.

Speaking on the issue in Mrs Ewing’s absence Mr Robertson said:

“ This situation is completely unacceptable. Many of our constituents have been told by the Health Board that they will have to travel to Aberdeen if they want to see an NHS dentist! I can sympathise entirely with their concerns, as I too have been unable to register with a dentist in the region.

“ Margaret Ewing has raised this issue with the Minister on several occasions but despite these efforts the Executive continues to disgrace themselves through lack of action.

“ The problem is particularly acute for new residents to the area who can be in need of regular dental care but simply cannot get any. The ridiculous thing is that if you have an emergency problem the only option is to attend accident and emergency, which ties up even more essential medical care facilities.

“ This is not an unforeseen problem and the only explanation is negligence by the Executive in failing to heed the warning signs. Dentists in the region have taken on as many patients as they can deal with and the simple fact is that the recent attempts to attract more practitioners to the area will not solve the immediate crisis.”



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Dental services in state of decay

Monday, June 17, 2002

Moray Scottish National Party MP, Mr Angus Robertson, is today urging Moray residents with difficulty receiving dental care to contact either Margaret Ewing MSP or himself following a series of complaints about the lack of dentist availability. Mr Robertson accused the Scottish Executive of failing Moray on dental services following a string of complaints from constituents who are unable to find an NHS dentist in the region.

Mr Robertson’s Moray SNP colleague, Mrs Margaret Ewing MSP, had been pursuing the issue with the Health Minister before having to take a break due to ill health. Mrs Ewing has indicated that she will be taking up the task again upon her return to the fray, in the meantime her office staff have continued to be inundated with complaints from irate constituents who are unable to get simple check ups for either their children or themselves.

Speaking on the issue in Mrs Ewing’s absence Mr Robertson said:

“ This situation is completely unacceptable. Many of our constituents have been told by the Health Board that they will have to travel to Aberdeen if they want to see an NHS dentist! I can sympathise entirely with their concerns, as I too have been unable to register with a dentist in the region.

“ Margaret Ewing has raised this issue with the Minister on several occasions but despite these efforts the Executive continues to disgrace themselves through lack of action.

“ The problem is particularly acute for new residents to the area who can be in need of regular dental care but simply cannot get any. The ridiculous thing is that if you have an emergency problem the only option is to attend accident and emergency, which ties up even more essential medical care facilities.

“ This is not an unforeseen problem and the only explanation is negligence by the Executive in failing to heed the warning signs. Dentists in the region have taken on as many patients as they can deal with and the simple fact is that the recent attempts to attract more practitioners to the area will not solve the immediate crisis.”

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Fighting Talk on Fair Trade

Sunday, June 16, 2002

Moray organisations are delivering a boost to the Trade Justice lobby of parliament, which takes place this Wednesday. More than 10,000 people are expected to attend, with many from Scotland swelling the ranks of those protesting against the ongoing world trade injustices that result in poverty and death for hundreds of millions of people.

Moray citizens have an excellent record of fighting on these issues with many of them active supporters in the key organisations such as CAFOD, OXFAM and Christian Aid that are running the Trade Justice campaign. Many others purchase Fair Trade products, which are sourced from producers who treat their workers well and pay them an appropriate and sustainable rate for their work.

Scottish National Party MP for Moray, Mr Angus Robertson, who is also a long-time campaigner on this issue, has had discussions with a number of concerned constituents, including Kate Middleton who is an OXFAM supporter in the Moray area.

Commenting after meeting Mr Robertson, Kate Middleton said:

“ Decisions made in the UK parliament can have enormous effect on the lives of people living in poverty in developing countries. I’ve talked to our MP, Mr Angus Robertson about several issues and at our latest meeting he was very sympathetic to the aims of the Trade Justice Movement.

“ International trade rules prevent poor producers from earning a decent livelihood from their work. Prices of commodities like coffee, tea, cocoa and cotton are decided in the rich countries, who also impose tariffs on the import of those commodities once they are processed. Huge transnational companies can move their operations to wherever the local laws allow them the cheap labour with few safeguards for the workers.

“ I’ve been trying to do my bit by making sure I buy “Fair Trade” foodstuffs and clothes wherever I can, but now it’s time to aim higher and try, through our MP, to make sure that international trading agreements are fair for everyone, especially the poorest people at the beginning of the supply chain.”

Moray SNP MP Angus Robertson continued:

“ I welcome the opportunity to discuss these important issues with concerned constituents and representatives of campaigning organisations like OXFAM. The information they are able to provide is incredibly useful for debating and questioning, providing myself and other concerned MPs with the tools to persuade the government to act.

“ Trade Justice is a major issue and must be addressed urgently if we are to have any hope of helping the world’s poorest nations and peoples. It is astounding that if Africa, East Asia, South Asia and Latin America could increase their export share by only 1% then 128 million people would be lifted out of poverty, more than 25 times the population of Scotland.

“ There are very active campaigners on this issue in Moray and in the run up to Wednesday’s lobby of the Westminster Parliament I have been inundated with letters and postcards urging me to support the aims of the Trade Justice campaign. I can assure all of my constituents that my party colleagues and I have campaigned vigorously on this matter and we will continue to fight for Fair Trade until such time as international trade becomes an effective tool in the struggle against poverty.”



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